Tempo-regulating device for mechanical musical instruments.



J. SAMPERE.

TEMPO REGULATING DEVICE FOR MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.-

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 11, 1904.

Patented Dec. 15, 1908,

FlQi.

FIGS.

L m A L L A R 32 WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES FATENT QFFIQE.

JOSE SAMPERE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE REGINA COMPANY, OF RAHWAY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW'JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent Patented Dec. 15, 1908.

Application filed June 1 l, 1904. Serial No. 212,174.

To all whom it may concern:

drawings forming part ol" this specification,

Be it known that l Josn SAMrnRn, a suband in whichject of the King of Spain, residing at the city of Nee York, State of New Y ork, United States of America, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tenmo-Rcgulating Devices for Mechanical i\:[usical Instruments, of which the lollovfng is a specification.

In mechanical musical instruments such piano-players and se llplaying pianos it is common to use atraveling musics-hoot operated by a pneumatic motor under control of a valve mechanism for varying the speed of the sheet to regulate the tempo ol the music. Probably the most convenient means for. adjusting the valve mechanism and a recognized standarddevice for this purpose, is a lever working along a' tempoindicating scale. It is most desirable that this lever shall always work" freely or not against spring pressure or other resistance which can only interfere with or obstruct those niceties of adjustment of the motor valve mechanism so necessary to assure the best rhythmic effects in rendering the music.

In this invention such a free working standard tempo lever device is employed and may alone be used for adjusting its coupled means or valve to regulate the tempo of the music. The invention however, also includes important means, .preler ably an auxiliary valve, and devices, preferably a'lcver and push-buttons, operating said-auxiliary valve independently of, the

main tempo lever andintended more especially for use' by theexpert performer and perniittin variation of the tempo to either faster or 's owcr thanthe standard or normal tempo in which a'nypiece of music is \vrittcn. This standard tempo may be assured by adjusting the main tempo lever to the proper mark on the scale prior to manipulating the auxil ary valve or device for obtaining temporarilyelther faster or slower time of the 'InusicjWhen the means operating said auxiliary valve ordevice is released the standard "or normal lZGIH'PO IIILlICtItQd by the main tempo lever is at once automatically restor'ed. I

The invention will first be described and then will be particularly jdefined' in claims hereinafter set forth."

Reference is made to 'the' accompanying K irregular line bb in Fig. 1.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of portions of an automatic piano-player embodying the invention, parts being removed and other parts being in vertical section on the irregue lar line ([,(L in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken on the Fig. 3 is a sec tional plan view taken on the line c c in Fig. 1-. Fig. 4 is a detail plan view showing the tempo indicating scale and the main tempo lever and push-buttons. Fig. 5 detail sectional plan view taken on the line dd in Fig.1; and Fig. 6 is a detail sectional plan view showingthe auxiliary valve port closedlor stopping the music-sheet motor.

The numeral 1 indicates the music-sheet which passes from a delivery roll 2 to a takeup roll 3 over an interposed tracker 4 having channels communicating with passages in a casing 5 on which are supported valved pneumatics 6 by which the levers 7 are operated to play a piano or like instrument to the keys of which these lovers are adjusted. The casing 5 may communicate by a trunk 8 with a main wind-chest 9 to which bellows of any suitable kind are to be connected for producing air currents through the music-sheet mo tor and thence through tht"valve-chcst 11, which practically is an air passage between the motor wind-chest 12 and the main windchcst 9. The chest 12 contains suitable valves controlling collapse and inflation of the motor pneumatics 13 which rotate the motor shaft 14 from which a belt 15 leads to gearing 16 by which the music-rolls and sheet 2, 3, l, are operated during mechanical play iln the valve chest 11 are arranged preferred slide valves 17, 1:5 which preferably work one upon the other and control the area ol the air passage between the music-sheet motor and the \vind-imlucing apparatus, an opening ll) being provided through the valve chest lloor and the main \vind chest wall 'to give connnunication with the bellows. The valve 17 preferably has a port 20 cut through. it, and the valves 17, 18 are adjustable relatively'to each other to more or less close said port and thereby cmitrol the volume of air propelled by the win-d-imlucing apparatus through the music'sheet motor to govern its speed and consequently the speed oftravel Preferredmeans for tilting or rocking the le- 3 of the music-sheet to vary the tempo of the per Wedge-blocks are acted upon by always accessible set screws 24 by which the pressure of springs 25 interposed between the lower wedge-blocks 22 and the blocks 21 may be regulated for holding the valve 17 properly to its seat. The valve 18 is held to its seat on the valve 17 by a spring 26 fixed at one end to the valve chest wall. The springs 25 are arranged upon guide pins 27 held in the blocks, but these pins may be omitted if the 0 posite ends of the springs be inserted in socii 21, 22.

The main tempo valve 18 has a stem 28 which is coupled by a link 29 to one arm of a U-shaped rocking frame 30 journaled in bearings 31 fixed to the main wind-chest 9. The other arm of tne frame 30 is coupled by a link 32 to the lower end of a tempo lever 33 the upper end of which preferably protrudes through the slot of a plate. 34 carrying a tempo indicating scale 35 which will have all the usual marks from Largo to Presto and in this invention also has the marks Rail and Accel indicating rela tively slower and faster tempo. The lever 33 preferably carries an index finger or pointer 36 working over the scale 35. The lever 33 is fulcrumed on a pin 37 upon which also is preferably fulcrumed a three-armed lever 38 whose pendent arm engages one end of an oscillatory horizontal lever 39 fulcrumed on a pin 40 and coupled at its other end with the stem 41 of the auxiliary tempo valve 17 in the chest 11. Preferably above the horizontal head of the lever 38 is ar ranged a spring the instrument case. The opposite ends of the spring 42 stop against lugs 44, 45, and also bear upon opposite ends of the head of the valve lever 33 and hold this lever nor mally; in balanced position thereby maintaining the valve 17 in normal balanced position, while permitting free movement of by the site ends of the head of the lever38 will move the valve 17 one way or the other beneath the valve 18 while the latter remains atrest.

ver 38 on its fulcrum 37 are push-buttons 46, 47, respectively fixed to stems 48, 49 which are suitably coupled tplppposite cpds ofgl .1 ese stems relera y,

head oithe lever 38.

ets in the opposing blocks.

42 which is fixed centrally by' a screw- 43 or otherwise to a stud or block on Depression of opposcares have bearings in the tempo-indicating scale plate 34, and are arranged preferably at opposite sides of the protruding upper end of the tempo lever 33, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawings, in order that the lingers of one hand of the per firmer may easily operate the push-buttons without disturbing the ad justed lever 33.

If a novice bperates the piano-player or instrument, he may control the tempo wholly by laterally n10 ving the lever 33 and thereby diiectly moving the valve 18 to the right orleft hand and thus altering the area of the I 1 port 20 of. the auxiliary valve 17 to assure r faster or slower operation of the motor and treme left of the tempo scale 35, fiSWlll readily be understood. It will be specially noticed that these adjustments of the lever 33 may, be easily made by the novice as the lever moves either Way with freedom and nbver V meets a gradually increasing or other resist;

ance such as is offered to a tempo regulating lever by springs I ism. The novice thus has no difliculty in a justing and holding the tempo lever 33 toany position along the scale 35 to assure any desired tempo of the music indicated by said in another known mechafiscale.

A more or less skillful performer Wishing to produce varied and striking musical efiects, will move the lever 33 to that osition at scale 35 indicating the stan ard tempo 111* which any piecec? music is written, adjusting t r 20 of the valve 17 to assurerendering o 'the music at such standard tern 0 while the valve 17- remains at rest. Now y pressin down more or less the push-button 46, ereby rocking the lever 38 and moving the. valve 17 to the right hand, the air passageat the thereby e valve 18 relatively to the ort valve port 20 will be enlarged to cause renv dering of the music at any desired timefaster "han the standard tempo. thus is depressed, that end of the s normall T resting on the stop 45 will lifted w remain on the ston 44 and' cannot down swing of in lever 38. When said push-button 46 is rel easedj the standard tempo will instantlyring 42 e easily ile the other end of the 5 ring will 'ollow the a the adjacent part of the rock- As the button 46 and automatically bere'stored by readjust-P. ment of the lever 38 and valve 17 to their normal ba lancedpositions shown inrFig. 1 "of the drawingsybyfmeans of the spring 42/," or

86 like speed of travel of -the music-sheet. In

any equivalent yielding or elastic devices. 2. Tempo regulating devices for mechan- WVhen the button 47 is deprested, the valve i 17 is moved to the left hand t contract the l by an air passage, and two valves arranged air passage at the valve port 2t], and thus obtam slower than the standard tempo,- and the spring 42 will be lifted froin the stopl l l and will remain at the stop 45 and when the button 47 is released, the spring 42 instantly readjusts the valve 17 to balanced position, thus again restoring the standard tempo of the music. The scale marlis Accel and jRall specially indicate that the adjacent respective push-buttons 46, 4? are to be dcpressed to assure correspondingly faster and slower tempo of the music. i

A prior patent describes a tempo valve adjustable by a lever or stop for regulating air current to a music-sheet motor to give any desired standard or n ormal tempo of the music, and also describes devices acting upon a movr able spring-pressed wall ottheordmary 111-.

tern'allyTvalVcd pneumatic regulator for vary- .ing the tempo from normal at'the will of the performer. The hereindesclribed invention materially differs from that shown'in said prior patent in that the means or valve employed for securing variatio of the normal tempo is arranged for operation by or from a COHHQCtCKlStOI) independently and mechanicallyconnected thcrewitlnwhilc at the same time the means or lever for" establishing the normal tempo may also be freely moved at any or all times by a novice in playing, as it does not meetspringpressurc or other resistance which could only interfere with ihose niceties of adj ustmentvjvhich are so necessary for securing pro )er rhythm of the music when controlled wholly by the tempo lever 33.

Various modified structures may be made by the skilled mechanic within the scope of the appended claimsyas for instance, the valve 1? may be eoupledito the tempo lever 33, and the valve 18 be coupled to the lever 38, and still permit regulation of the tem )o by the lever 38 and push-buttons 46, 47, so stantially as above described. The tilting lever 38 also may be arranged for operation directly by the fingers of the performer and the parts 46, 47, 48, 49, then would be dispensed with.

() ther modifications inay suggest themselves as being most desirable for any special class of mechanical milsical instrument in which this invention may either partly or wholly be embodied.

I claim as my invention.: 1

1. Tempo regulating devicesfoe ical musical instruments, including a motor, a wind-chest communicating vlith said motor by an air passage, and'two independently movable means arranged adjacent to each other in said. passage and controlling the sa nc'opening thereof, and mechanism .for means "independegtly of each other-f l l l ical musical instruments, including a motor, a wind-chest communicating with said motor and the other slide-valve being adjustable relatively to the first named slide-valve to obtain tempo changes during rendering of the music; said other slide-valve being arranged for operation by or home connected stop independently and mechanically eonneeted therewith.

4. Tempo regulating devices for mechan ical musical instruments, including a motor, a wind-chest communicating with said. motor by an air passage, and two relatively adjustable slide-valves working one upon the other in said passage; one of said slide-valves being positively adjustable to control speed of the. motor to assure standard tempo of the music, an d the other slide-valve being adjustable relatively to the first named slidevalve to obtain tempo changes during rendering of the music. v p v 5. Tempo regulating devices for mechanical musical instruments, including a motor, a wind-chest communicating with said motor by an air passage, two valves arranged in said passage in engagement with each other, and means for actuating said-valves 'independently.

6. Tempo regulating devices for mechanical musical instruments, including a motor, a wind-chest communicating withsaid motor b r an air assa 'e. two relativel movable valves arranged in saidpassage adjacent to each other and controlling-the same opening thereof, independentimechanism for. rtetuating each of said valves, and mechanism 'connectedwith one of the valves to restore it automatically to a predetermined normal position.

7. Tempo regulating devices for mechanical musical instruments, including a motor, a wind-chest comnn'inicatin g with said motor by an air passage, two, relatively movable valves arranged in said. passa e in'c'ontact with each other, one of the valves having a passage which is controlled by the other valve, means 'for actuating the last-named valve, and independent means for yjeldingly holding the first-named valve in ts balanced position.

loo

tempo changes 8. Tempo regulating devices for mechanical musical instruments, including a motor, a wind-chest communicating with said motor by an air passage, two slide valves mounted to move adjacentto each other and controlling the same opening of said passage, means for adjusting each slide valve independently of the other, and elastic means having a tendency to restore one of said valves to a predetermined normal position.

9. Tempo regulating devices for mechanical musical instruments, including a motor, a wind-chest communicating with said motor by an air passage, a slide said passage and controlling an opening thereof, said slide valve being itself provided with a through passage, another slide valve mounted to move in engagement with the first mentioned valve and controlling the passage thereof, independent means for adjusting each of said valves, and a yielding device having a tendency to restore the apertured valve to a predetermined normal position.

10. Tempo regulating devices for mechanical musical instruments, including a motor, a wind-chest communicating with said motor by an air passage, two valves in said passage each of which is movable independently of the other; one valve being positively adjust.-

able to control speed of the motor to assure standard tempo of the music, means actuating said positively adjustable valve, a'lever mechanically connected for actuating the other valve without interposition of devices influenced by the wind current to obtain during rendering of the music, and push-buttons actuating said tempo-changing. lever. 11. Tern o regulating devices for mechanical musica instruments, including a motor, a wind-chest communicating with said motor by an air passage, two valves in said passage each of which is movable independently of the other; one valve being positively adjustable to control speed of the motor to assure standard tempo of the music, a tempo lever freely actuating said positively adjustable valve, a second lever actuating the other valve independently of the first named lever without interposition of devices influenced by the 'wind current to obtain tempo chan es during rendering of the music, means yieldingly holding said second in balanced positions,- and push-buttons actuating the second lever and its valve. r2. Tempo regulating devices for mechanical musical instruments, including a motor, a wind-chest, a valve chest interposed between said motor and wind-chest, two relatively adjustable slide-valves in said: chest; one valve being positively adjustable to control speed of the motor to assure standard tempo of-the music, the other valve being lever and its valvevalve movable in ment to obtain tempo changes valve 17 including balanced. and permitting adjustment oiv ,dering oi the music,

adjustable relatively to the first named valve to obtain tempo changes during rendering of the music, pressure devices holding one-of said valves to its seat and including blocks having opposed wedging surfaces, means holding the other valve to its seat, and devices o crating said valves.

13. n tempo regulating chanical musical instruments, tion with a tempo-controlling valve, and a lever coupled to actuate it, of stops at opposite sides 'of the lever fulcrum, and

devices for mesprings bearing on the stops and on the lever and readjusting the lever and valve to normal balanced positions after being adjusted either way from said positions.

14. In tempo regulating devices for mechanical musical instruments, the combination of a motor, a wind-chest 9, a valve chest 11 interposed between the motor and chest 9, a valve 17 having a port 20 and movable in chest 11, means operating said devices holding it norbalanced and permitting its adjustduring rendering of the music, a valve '18 adjustable in chest 11 relatively to the valve 17, and means operating said valve 18 for wholly controlling the tempo, or for assuring standard tempo while the valve 17 is adapted. for changing the tempo of the music.

mally ,15. In tempo regulating devices for methe combinament of them to obtam'tempo changes during rendering of the music, a valve 18 adjustable in chest 1 l relatively to the valve 17, and

means operating. said valve 18 to assure standard tempo of. the music. 16. In tempo regulating devices for mechanical musical instruments, the combination of a motor, awind-chest 9, a valve chest 11 interposed between the motor and chest 9, a valve 17 having a port 20 and. movable in chest 11, a lever 38 and connected pushbuttons 46, 47 operating said valve 17, springs holding said parts 17, 38 normally them to obtain tempo changes during-rena valve 18 adjustable in chest 11 relatively" to the valve '17, and means operating said valve 18 to assure standard tempo of the music.

17. In tempo regulating devices for mechanical musical instruments, the combination of a motor, a wind chest 9, a valve l chest 11 interposed between the motor and said valve 17 springs holding said parts 17, 38 normally balanced and permitting adjustment of them to obtain tempo changes during rendering of the music, a valve 18 adjustable in chest 11 relatively tothe valve 17, and a freely movable tempo lever 33 coupled to chanical musical instruments, the combination of a motor, a wind chest 9, a valve chest 11 interposed between the motor and chest 9, a valve 17 having a port 20 and movable in chest 11, a lever 38 and connected pushbuttons 46, 47 operating said valve 17, springs holding said .parts 17, 3S normally balanced and permitting adjustment of them to obtain tempo changes during rendering of the music, a valve 18 adjustable in chest 11 relatively to the valve 17, and a freely movable tempo lever 33 coupled to the valve 18 and adapted to operate it for Wholly controlling the tempo, or for assuring standard tempo while the valve 17 is adapted for changing the tear )0 of the music.

19. In tempo regulating devices for mechanical musical instruments, the combination with a tempo controlling valve and its actuating lever, of sto )s 44, 45 and a spring 42 fixed intermediately and healin by its opposite ends upon the stops and a so bearing on the lever at opposite sides of its fulcrum and balancing said lever and its tempo valve while permitting movement of the valve in opposite directions by the lever.

20. In tempo regulating devices, the ('01111 bination with the motor valve chest 11, and con'iinunicating wind-chest, oi a valve 17 in said valve chest, bearing blocks 21, 2]

resting on the valve 17, opposing pairs oi" edge-blocks 22, 23, with springs 25 sustained on the blochs 21, screws 24 adjusting the wedge-block pressure on the valve 17, and a valve 18 movable relatively to the valve 17 between the blocks 2], 21, substantially as described.

21. In a mechanical musical instrument playcrfthc combination of a box having a passage for air, a principal movable regulator plate having an opening tberethrough. a supplemental movable regulator plate mounted and movable upon the lirst named plate, and means for independently adjusting each of said plates, substantially ah set forth. Y

22. In a mechanical musical instrument player, the combination with a box having a passage for air, of a regulator composed of two independently movable regulator plates, of which one is mounted upon the other, a spring for holding the two plates in contact, and means for adjusting each of said plates, substantially as set forth.

JOSE SAMPERE.

Witnesses:

Gnonon Sttnamnsrren, ALviN K. Goonwnv. 

